PANJIM: Is the BJP going the Congress way? Developments in the past few weeks appear to be so.
In 2012, the Congress faced trouble mainly due to three reasons – corruption, family raaj and imports from other parties. Come 2017, the BJP seems to be committing some of those mistakes or at least the last one- imports from other parties.
The major issue that could dent the prospects of the party is the imports from the Congress. The BJP has imported leaders from various parties including Congress in Cumbharjua, Bicholim, Mayem, Dabolim, Curtorim, etc.
The import of Cumbharjua sitting MLA Pandurang Madkaikar did not go well as it was opposed tooth and nail initially by Union Minister Shripad Naik, though he retracted his words later.
While Naik has retracted, the BJP supporters are in no mood to offer support Madkaikar, putting a question mark on his chances, Parrikar claimed on Saturday that Naik was consulted before Madkaikar’s induction.
During a debate in the Assembly, Parrikar, as the Goa Chief Minister then, had accused the former Cumbharjua MLA of indulging in a land scam. After Madkaikar’s induction into the BJP on December 22, Parrikar claimed an inquiry has been ordered into the scam and action would be taken if the MLA was found guilty.
In Bicholim too, the entry of former Congress candidate Rajesh Patnekar, who had ditched the party to join Congress, has met with strong resistance. Sources say that the other prospective candidate Shilpa Naik was involved in a verbal duel with Parrikar over Patnekar’s entry as he was being shortlisted as a candidate. But it must be kept in mind that Ms Naik’s loyalty was mainly with the former Organising secretary Satish Dhond than the party.
The BJP is also facing stiff resistance from the Mayem mandal over the likely entry of Pravin Zantye. BJP supporters have questioned Parrikar’s motive behind sidelining sitting MLA Anant Shet in favour of Zantye.
Dabolim is another area where BJP supporters have not approved of former Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho as the candidate. BJP workers have questioned why a tainted politician should be given a BJP ticket.
Similarly a minor revolt is also being seen in Curtorim wherein former Congress officer-bearer Arthur D’Silva has been shortlisted as the BJP candidate.
When the question was posed before the BJP South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, he said, there was no opposition to the entry. “The party has taken all democratic decisions also keeping winnability in mind,” he said at a press conference.
But getting the party cadre to accept these decisions is becoming not only difficult but visibly troublesome and a tad embarrassing.
